The 25 most influential books ever written about business

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Amazon / Skye Gould

Warren Buffett — arguably the most skilled investor of our time — said reading 500 pages a day was the key to success, because "that's how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest."

Which is likely why so many important businessmen and women make reading a daily part of their lives. It's why Bill Gates reads 50 books every year (roughly one a week) and Mark Zuckerberg kicked off 2015 with the goal of reading one every other week.

If you want exposure to new ideas, modes of thinking, and a compounded aggregate of diverse knowledge, then reading is important. And it's going to help you in business, be it by a mixture of accounts on other corporate successes or failures and lessons on lean startups, or a 2,500-year-old military tome that works just as well in boardrooms as war.

Below are the 25 most influential business books of all time, if you're looking to start with those most worth your time:

Descriptions provided by Amazon and edited for length.

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"Business Adventures" by John Brooks

Amazon

What do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened.

Note: Bill Gates wrote in his blog, gatesnotes, that Warren Buffett not only recommended this as his favorite book about business, but actually sent Gates his own personal copy to read. Gates writes that more than four decades after it was first published, "Business Adventures" remains the best business book he's ever read.

"The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham

Amazon

The greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century, Benjamin Graham, taught and inspired people worldwide. Graham's philosophy of "value investing" — which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies — has made "The Intelligent Investor" the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949.

"The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success" by William N. Thorndike

Amazon

What makes a successful CEO? Most people call to mind a familiar definition: "a seasoned manager with deep industry expertise." Others might point to the qualities of today's so-called celebrity CEOs — charisma, virtuoso communication skills, and a confident management style. But what really matters when you run an organization? What is the hallmark of exceptional CEO performance? Quite simply, it is the returns for the shareholders of that company over the long term.

"How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

Amazon

Dale Carnegie's rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, "How to Win Friends & Influence People" will teach you: six ways to make people like you, twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, nine ways to change people without arousing resentment, and more.

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

Amazon

Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is still used as a book of military strategy today. Napoleon, Mae Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap and General Douglas MacArthur all claimed to have drawn inspiration from it. And beyond the world of war, business and management gurus have also applied Sun Tzu's ideas to office politics and corporate strategy.

"Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" by Daniel Goleman

Amazon

Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart.

"Think and Grow Rich!" by Napoleon Hill

Amazon

Through researching billionaires Napoleon Hill crafted the philosophy and lifestyle behind those who experienced financial success. Although Hill's aim was to coach others to become like said billionaires, "Think and Grow Rich" is more about encouraging people towards their own perspective goals.

"Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg

Amazon

"Lean In" continues [the conversation around women in the workplace], combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to change the conversation from what women can't do to what they can.

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

Amazon

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" has captivated readers for 25 years. It has transformed the lives of Presidents and CEOs, educators and parents — in short, millions of people of all ages and occupations.

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't" by Jim Collins

Amazon

The findings of the "Good to Great" study will surprise many readers and shed light on virtually every area of management strategy and practice. "Some of the key concepts discerned in the study," comments Jim Collins, "fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people."

A black swan is an event, positive or negative, that is deemed improbable yet causes massive consequences. In this groundbreaking and prophetic book, Taleb shows in a playful way that Black Swan events explain almost everything about our world, and yet we — especially the experts — are blind to them.

"Too Big to Fail" by Andrew Ross Sorkin

Amazon

In one of the most gripping financial narratives in decades, Andrew Ross Sorkin-a New York Times columnist and one of the country's most respected financial reporters-delivers the first definitive blow-by-blow account of the epochal economic crisis that brought the world to the brink.

"The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith

Amazon

["The Wealth of Nations"] describes what builds nations' wealth and is today a fundamental work in classical economics and touches upon such broad topics as the division of labor, productivity, and free markets.

"Barbarians at the Gate" by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar

Amazon

A #1 New York Times bestseller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, "Barbarians at the Gate" is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date twenty years after the famed deal.

"The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron" by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind

Amazon

The Enron scandal brought down one of the most admired companies of the 1990s. Countless books and articles were written about it, but only "The Smartest Guys in the Room" holds up a decade later as the definitive narrative.

Roger Lowenstein captures the gripping roller-coaster ride of Long-Term Capital Management. Drawing on confidential internal memos and interviews with dozens of key players, Lowenstein explains not just how the fund made and lost its money but also how the personalities of Long-Term's partners, the arrogance of their mathematical certainties, and the culture of Wall Street itself contributed to both their rise and their fall.

When "Guerrilla Marketing" was first published in 1983, Jay Levinson revolutionized marketing strategies for the small-business owner with his take-no-prisoners approach to finding clients. Based on hundreds of solid ideas that really work, Levinson's philosophy has given birth to a new way of learning about market share and how to gain it.

"In search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies" by Thomas Peters and Robert H. Waterman

Amazon

Based on a study of forty-three of America's best-run companies from a diverse array of business sectors, "In Search of Excellence" describes eight basic principles of management —action-stimulating, people-oriented, profit-maximizing practices — that made these organizations successful.

"Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies" by Jim Collins and Jerry I Porras

Amazon

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors.

"Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution" by Michael Hammer and James A. Champy

Amazon

Building on their firsthand experiences, Hammer and Champy show how some of the world's premier corporations use the principles of reengineering to save hundreds of millions of dollars a year, to achieve unprecedented levels of customer satisfaction, and to speed up and make more flexible all aspects of their operations. The key to reengineering is abandoning the most basic notions on which the modern organization is founded.

"First, Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently" by Jim Harter

Amazon

Gallup presents the remarkable findings of its revolutionary study of more than 80,000 managers in "First, Break All the Rules", revealing what the world's greatest managers do differently. With vital performance and career lessons and ideas for how to apply them, it is a must-read for managers at every level.

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